The Commons Institute was established in recognition that the concept of the commons is currently under threat in our society. Despite being the source of benefit to most communities around the world, including ours, we are seeing the enclosure of the commons. This includes the disappearance of public space and the privatisation of resources such as water that were once considered a human right.



The Commons Institute was established with three broad objectives:



1. To provide public education and training on the benefits of the commons;



2. Conduct research and publish reports on the commons; and



3. To investigate the feasibility of establishing a publicly accessible commons register – a place that we as a society can register ‘commons’ – much like private property and patents are registered.



At this point, the aim is to promote the concept of the commons while at the same time linking with other groups to both protect and reclaim the commons.



Establishing a ‘commons register’ is a longer-term goal. While patents and intellectual property rights can be easily registered, the ability to register ‘commons’ proves more difficult. A viable process for registering ‘commons’ is currently being investigated.